The Book of the Arrival

by Tunneling Carp

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Original Character, Argyle Starshine, My Little Pony: A New Generation, Crossover
Length: 3545

A battered box, a clear crystal, and a mysterious manuscript. What secrets were hidden underneath Maretime Bay's old lighthouse?

The manuscript was old, hidden in Maretime Bay's lighthouse for generations at the very least. At first glance, it appears to be a religious text, full of references to unknown places, unknown creatures, unknown rulers. But is there more to the manuscript than meets the eye? Can Maretime Bay's existence really be traced back to a single group of pilgrims seeking a new life? And why would these pilgrims have sought to escape from their princess, Twilight Sparkle?

Published 2021-12-03 22:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2021-12-03 22:50:00 UTC

Arrival

Transcriber’s note: This manuscript was discovered in the year 427, during the demolition of the old Maretime Bay lighthouse. To prepare for the construction of its replacement, the previous lighthouse was torn down to its foundations. Underneath the northwest cornerstone, the demolition crew discovered an ancient wooden box, dating at least as far back as the tower’s original construction. Inside the box were two items: a clear circular crystal, and a worn parchment.

The writings contained in this parchment appear to be part of a religious text, detailing the arrival at these lands of a group of pony pilgrims. Said pilgrims supposedly came from a far-off continent, seeking a new land where they may live in peace. Such a continent is of course pure fantasy; we have seen no hint of such a location during our explorations of the waters surrounding these lands. Instead, the text is most likely part of a creation myth invented by our ancestors.
The text is fragmentary; obviously part of a larger work. Whether or not the remainder is ever discovered, the portion found here provides a unique look into the ancient mindset of our race.

The text is transcribed here, in whole. The crystal and original parchment will be returned to their box and placed in a specially constructed room in the new lighthouse’s sub-basement for safekeeping.

--Poppy Spring, Chronicler of Maretime Bay
The 153rd day of the year 427

*The text abruptly begins at this point*

within four generations, the names of the goddesses were forgotten by all equines.

Warm Zephyr is Called by the Goddesses
3 And it came to pass in the one hundred eighty-second year of the reign of Princess Twilight Sparkle, that the pegasus Warm Zephyr sought shelter from a storm in a cave near the peak of White Mountain. 2And within the cave she found the book of the goddesses, which had been hidden there by Misty Sunrise. 3When Warm Zephyr read the words contained within, she wept aloud, and cried, 4“Woe! Woe to the ponies of Equestria! For we have forsaken our true goddesses, and followed the teachings of the deceiver, 5who achieves through trickery what the goddesses achieved through strength!”

6And as she spoke those words, the visages of the goddesses appeared before her, and greeted her, saying,

7Warm Zephyr, we have heard your cries
And share despair at Twilight’s lies
8Rejoice; we goddesses declare:
From your stout heart, we hear your prayer!

9And Warm Zephyr was filled with great fear, and fell prostrate before the goddesses. 10And she said to them: “O my goddesses! We have failed to keep your commands, and have instead given praise to the one who took your place! 11We have followed her blindly, and accepted the lesser creatures as our own flesh and blood! 12We deserve naught but your deepest scorn and wrath!” 13But they said to her, “Rise, Warm Zephyr. We have judged your heart and found you worthy. 14You shall be our messenger to the earth ponies, and to the unicorns, and to the pegasi.”

15And Warm Zephyr responded, “I will do as you command, my goddesses. I will be your witness before the ponies!”

16Then they said to her, “We grant you a mote of our power, that you may speak with authority in our name. 17Take our sacred book, and spread the truth of the goddesses to all equines as our prophet!”

18Then the visages of the goddesses departed, and Warm Zephyr was left alone in the cave. 19She named the cave “Blessing,” saying, “It is here that the goddesses bestowed their blessing to the ponies of Equestria!”

4 When the storm ended, Warm Zephyr left the cave, carrying the book of the goddesses in her right hoof, 2and flew down to the village at the base of the mountain, which was named Roanwood Pass. 3And when she spoke to the ponies living in the village, and showed them the book she bore, all were amazed, and said, 4“Is this not the brash pegasus, the daughter of the tavernkeeper? How does she speak with such authority?”

5Then Warm Zephyr spoke to them, saying, “My friends, my authority comes from the goddesses, whose works we have forgotten and whose names are no longer remembered! 6They have come to me this day and shown me the book of their teachings; their holy book!” 7And Warm Zephyr read to them from the book of Ascension, and from the book of Morals, and from the book of the Exile, and performed miracles before them. 8And over three hundred ponies became believers that day.

The Word of the Goddesses is Spread
9Then Warm Zephyr commissioned seven followers to go out and spread the word of the goddesses. 10And she said to them, “Go out with gladness, for you carry with you the truth which had been hidden from us. 11Preach of the goddesses as I have preached to you. 12I grant you blessings in the goddesses’ names, as they themselves granted blessings unto me. 13Speak to the earth ponies, and the pegasi, and the unicorns, and bring them into the goddesses’ light!”

14The Seven left from Roanwood Pass, and preached of the goddesses in the surrounding towns, 15from Hoofington to Withersville, from Daffodil Falls to Bridle Sound. 16And wherever they went, more ponies believed in the truth of the goddesses.

17When word of the Zephyrites (for that is what the believers were called) reached Princess Twilight Sparkle, she was greatly troubled, 18and sent her student, Silken Veneer, to investigate and report back on the events taking place in the eastern lands of Equestria. 19(In truth, the student was instructed to spy on the followers of the true goddesses and discover their weaknesses.) 20But Warm Zephyr, having received foreknowledge from the goddesses of Twilight Sparkle’s plan, instructed the Seven to keep watch for Silken Veneer, 21and to bind her and bring her to Roanwood Pass. 22And the Seven did as they were instructed.

23When Warm Zephyr saw that the student had been captured, she ordered her placed in confinement. 24And Warm Zephyr went to the student, and preached to her for ten days and ten nights. 25On the tenth day, the student realized the truth of the goddesses, and renounced her teacher Twilight Sparkle. 26And Warm Zephyr commissioned Silken Veneer to join the Seven in proclaiming the word of the goddesses. 27So the Seven became Eight.

Twilight Sparkle’s Response
5 And when Twilight Sparkle saw that her student had become a follower of the true goddesses, she wept bitterly, 2for she knew the Zephyrites served a power far greater than her own. 3Then she said to herself, “I must create an army, composed of the finest creatures of Equestria, to destroy the Zephyrites before they become too powerful!” 4And she called together the toughest earth ponies, the swiftest pegasi, and the strongest unicorns. 5And she also called upon the lower races of Equestria: 6the yaks, and the griffons, and the hippogriffs, and the changelings, and the crystal ponies. 7And a dragon led them all.

8So the army of Twilight Sparkle was sent against the Zephyrites. 9And though the power of the goddesses they served was great, the Zephyrites were unable to stand against the multitudes of lesser creatures arrayed against them. 10And many were lost to the corrupting influence of Twilight Sparkle.

11Then Warm Zephyr built a shrine to the goddesses, and sent up offerings of the finest grains to them, and the goddesses responded with a vision. 12Then she addressed the remaining followers of the goddesses, saying, 13“Our goddesses have told me that the lands here are cursed through the presence of the lesser creatures: 14those that are not earth ponies, or pegasi, or unicorns. 15The curse is so strong that even their powers cannot overcome it! 16But hark; they have given me a vision of a land across the eastern sea, a land untainted by the hooves of the unworthy! 17We shall sail for this land, and leave Equestria to those who have brought a curse upon it!”

The Zephyrites Leave Equestria
18So the remaining Zephyrites left the village of Roanwood Pass, and went to the docks of Bridle Sound, and there they found eight ships. 18Then they boarded the ships, and set off to the east, in the direction of the rising sun and moon, the symbols of their goddesses. 19And the number of ponies on the ships was five hundred.
20They sailed to the east for twenty days and twenty nights. 21And on the dawn of the twenty-first day, Silken Veneer, who was keeping watch, 22saw the promise of their goddesses fulfilled, for before the ships there was land! 23And she shared the news with the rest of the Zephyrites, and all gave thanks to the goddesses for delivering them to this new land. 24And they called the land Lunestia, that none would ever forget the names of the goddesses who had brought them to its shores.

25Then the ships came to a cove, that was protected from the waves by high hills. 26And there they left the ships, and stepped onto the shore, and saw that there were no other creatures around, only the true pony race. 27There they constructed a shrine to the goddesses, 28and Warm Zephyr said, “This place that we have been given will be called Maretime Bay, 29for the goddesses have delivered us from the waters on this day.”

30And they built a town upon the cove. 31The earth ponies dug wells for water; and the pegasi collected materials for construction; and the unicorns laid down the roads. 32And with each building the earth ponies set the foundation; and the unicorns raised the walls; and the pegasi placed the roofs. 33And the three tribes of ponies worked together as one, in the manner they knew was right; 34and the town they constructed was called Maretime Bay, which is there to this day.

The Defection of Silken Veneer
6 But the heart of Silken Veneer grew troubled. 2For the lies of Princess Twilight Sparkle had penetrated her deeply, further than even the truth of the goddesses could reach. 3And she wondered aloud: “Why have we come to this land? We faced no persecution in Equestria! 4There were no jeering crowds; no abuse was laid upon us!” 5And she gathered all the ponies of Lunestia to the center of Maretime Bay, and spoke to them of returning to the land of Equestria. 6The voice of the false princess spoke through her, and around three hundred were deceived by her words.

7Then Silken Veneer led her followers to the seashore, where the ships had been kept, and made moves to take the ships for their own use. 8But Warm Zephyr and the true followers of the goddesses met them there, and prevented them from reaching the shore. 9And the two groups argued back and forth, and nearly came to blows.

10Then the spirit of the goddesses came upon Warm Zephyr, and she stood before Silken Veneer and her followers. 11And she spoke these words to them: “This is what the goddesses say to you: 12go then; return to your false princess! Turn back to the land of Equestria, where ponies and lower creatures mingle in defiance of our laws! 13But know this: we have removed our blessings from you and your followers, just as you have removed yourselves from us and our prophet! 14You and your descendants will forever be barred from these shores!”

15Then the crowd of true believers removed themselves from the shore, and allowed Silken Veneer and her followers to board the ships. 16And as the ships departed, the true believers kicked sand into the sea using their hind hooves, as a symbol of the goddesses’ rejection. 17And Silken Veneer and her followers were never seen in Lunestia again.

The Dedication of the Crystals
18Then Warm Zephyr brought the ponies that remained in Maretime Bay to the forest called Bridlewood, where crystals grew from the ground like flowers. 19And she led them to the base of the largest tree in the forest, 20and produced three flawless crystals from the hollow under its roots, for the goddesses had shown her where they were located. 21And she divided the ponies by means of their three tribes; and the earth ponies were on her left, and the pegasi were on her right, and the unicorns were in the middle.

22Then she presented the first crystal, and said: 23“Behold! This is the Pegasus Crystal, given by the goddesses. 24See its winged shape and green color! 25This is a sign unto the pegasi: though you are blessed with wings, do not forget the ponies that reside on the ground! 26Guide and protect them, for your wings allow you to see a perspective unique among your kin!”

27Then she presented the second crystal, and said: 28“Behold! This is the Unicorn Crystal, given by the goddesses. 29See its hornlike shape and blue color! 30This is a sign unto the unicorns: your magic is to be used with wisdom. 31Do not use it to harm your kin; instead keep your eyes on the sea and on the sky, and protect this land from those who would violate its sanctity!”

32Then she presented the third crystal, and said: 33“Behold! This is the Earth Pony Crystal, given by the goddesses. 34See its rounded shape and clear color! 35This is a sign unto the earth ponies: though you lack the wings of the pegasi and the horns of the unicorns, know that you are the purest of all ponies. 36You are strong and steadfast, and your souls remain centered; keep the minds of your kin on the goddesses, as the goddesses keep their minds on you!”

37Then she placed the Unicorn Crystal into the Pegasus Crystal, and inserted the Earth Pony Crystal into the space formed between them. 38And she spoke these words, as directed by the goddesses: “See how these crystals are joined together! 39In the same way, you three tribes of true ponies must remain together, for this is the command of your goddesses!” 40And she bade the tribes reassemble into one group, as symbolized by the joining of the three crystals.

41Then they assembled a shrine at that location, and gave thanks to the goddesses, and the shrine stands there to this day. 42And Warm Zephyr led them back to Maretime Bay, and each pony went to their own house.
43As for the other events of Warm Zephyr’s regency as prophet, are they not written in the book of the annals of the prophets of Lunestia? 44Warm Zephyr was the prophet of the goddesses for fifteen years after the arrival of the three tribes in Lunestia.

Warm Zephyr Returns to the Goddesses
7 When the time came for Warm Zephyr to be called to the goddesses, she assembled the three tribes together and spoke to them, saying: 2“My little ponies, my time among you will soon come to an end. 3The goddesses have spoken to me, and wish for us to make a journey to the tallest mountain in the land, 4that we may worship them and make offerings to them. 5And know this: I shall not return to Maretime Bay with you after the offerings have been made. 6The goddesses have appointed a new prophet, my student Misty Shadow, to lead you after I have been taken from you.” 7And there was much distress among the assembled ponies, and they cried aloud, 8“How shall we live without our prophet to guide us?” 9But Warm Zephyr rebuked them saying, “This change comes from the goddesses! 10As surely as summer gives way to winter, so too must one generation give way to the next!”

11Then the assembly climbed to the top of the tallest mountain in Lunestia, and built a shrine at its peak, and made offerings to the goddesses. 12After the offerings were made, Warm Zephyr climbed atop the shrine, and cried out, 13“See; the goddesses are calling me! I go now to the skies, the domain of our goddesses, at their command!” 14And the clouds broke above her, and a beam of pure sunlight shone upon her, and she spread her wings and flew upwards. 15And as she flew she called down to the assembled ponies, and said, 16“Do not follow me at this time! Instead, keep your faith in the goddesses, and you shall one day be reunited with us in paradise!” 17She flew higher and higher, and a cloud hid her from their sight.

18Then Misty Shadow, who had been appointed prophet of the goddesses, said, 19“Do not mourn for our prophet, for today she is joined with our goddesses! 20Instead, let us remember her well, and name this place in her memory!” 21So they called the place Zephyr Heights, as it was where the prophet Warm Zephyr had been taken from them.

The Settling of Bridlewood
8 After Misty Shadow brought the three tribes back to Maretime Bay, there was turmoil among them, for the town was very crowded. 2So Misty Shadow gathered the Seven, and said to them, 3“We must build a new town, so that ponies may spread out and claim more of this holy land! 4Here, we shall select a location around one of the shrines that have been built!” 5So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Bridlewood.

6Then Misty Shadow chose

*The remainder of the text is missing*

Paisley Stoneheart finished the last lines of the manuscript and looked up to see his friend looking eagerly at him. “So? What do you think?” Argyle Starshine asked him.

“I'll admit, it certainly was interesting. Where did you say you found this?”

"It was sticking up from a crack in the floor, back behind the couch!” Argyle pointed excitedly at the couch in question. “We were moving it to make room for the crib, and there it was, all covered in dust and cobwebs!"

"So you have no idea how long it might have been there?"

"None at all! Years at least; that couch hasn't been moved since before I was born!"

“Hmm.” Paisley squinted as he held the closed book up to inspect it more closely. “It definitely looks old. And you really think it tells how ponykind first came to these lands?”

“Well, yeah! They wouldn't have written it down if it didn't happen, right?”

Paisley looked at his friend skeptically. “Come on, Argyle. I know you’ve heard of fiction before.”

“...Okay, you’ve got a point. But did that really read like fiction to you? If it’s anything at all, it’s a chronicle!”

“An inaccurate chronicle.”

“Inaccurate?” Argyle cried, indignant. “What about the box? What about the crystal? I showed them both to you, how can you call this anything but accurate?”

“Argyle.” Paisley’s face took on a serious expression, and he looked his friend straight in the eyes. “The box, and the crystal? They prove the transcriber was accurate. But all he did was write down what was on the scroll they found. All the parts about the goddesses, and the continent to the west? And crystal ponies? Pure imagination.”

“Paisley, we don’t know everything that’s out west! Just because we haven’t found it doesn’t mean it’s not there!”

Paisley sighed, and laid his forehoof on Argyle’s shoulder. “Argyle, I’m telling you this as a friend. The transcriber had the right idea. He recorded what he found, and left it for future generations to discover. You need to do the same. Focus on getting ready for your daughter to arrive.”

“But Paisley, this discovery…” His voice was muffled as Paisley placed his hoof firmly over Argyle’s mouth.

“Take it from somepony who knows. When it comes to your daughter, there's nothing in there," Paisley said as he indicated the book in question, "that's more important than what's in here," he finished, pointing to Argyle’s heart. “And once your daughter’s born, you’ll see that her future is infinitely more important than anything else. Even your discovery.”

The indignant response that had been building up in Argyle’s chest died off as he saw his friend’s sympathetic expression. “I’m sorry, Paisley. You’re right, of course. Sunny will be the most important thing in my life. You have my word.” He gave a warm smile, then glanced around the ground floor of the lighthouse. “Speaking of which, weren’t you going to help me get this place ready for her?”

“I’d love to, Argyle, but I need to get over to the library. It won’t open itself, you know!” Paisley trotted to the front door and called back as he opened it, “Maybe after closing?”

“If Sunny can wait that long! I’ll see you later, Paisley!”

The door swung shut as his friend galloped off. Argyle sighed, placed the manuscript back on the bookshelf, and returned to his task of preparing the lighthouse for his daughter’s arrival. But as he worked, his thoughts kept returning to the manuscript. Returning to that one line, those words that had been forever engraved in his memory the first time he read them.

...the three tribes of ponies worked together as one, in the manner they knew was right...

“Together as one…” Argyle repeated softly, almost inaudibly, to himself.

"I think there's something for my daughter in there after all…"